A cloud computing environment enables responsibilities which previously may have been provided by an organization's own information technology department, to be delivered as service layers within a cloud environment, for use by consumers that are either internal (i.e., private) or external (i.e., public) to the organization. In some instances, a cloud environment may be intended for use by multiple tenants, which may have their own particular requirements or restrictions as to how services such be configured. These are examples of the types of environment in which embodiments of the invention can be used.